fab . design resource

my girlfriend from LA sent me an invitation to join Fab.com, an online resource that offers up to 70% off of retail (they have Moooi items, which are fantastic) as well as design inspiration.  i know if i let myself peruse the daily deals, i could do some damage.  so while i do my best to stay clear of the sales, i do enjoy snippets of inspiration - it keeps open optimism.

pure.fresh.zen

i spent much of the weekend cleaning and purging loads of excess "stuff" from my office at home.  i had about a years worth of design magazines, although neatly stacked in my armoire, they were unncessary to keep.  as i flipped through the dog-eared pages i came across a story on the dutch stylist, ANOUK B.  although it is a bit minimalistic for my taste, there was something quite appealing about the stark white pallete counterbalanced by natural elements.  pure, fresh, zen. 

silky soft ears

a farm pup from charlottesville, virginia.  for almost the past 10 years i have been so lucky to have the big brown eyes and silky soft ears of the sweetest dog in the world.  she has been with me through so many milestones in my life,  like velcro on my side.
she had slowed to a crawl, could barely make it on our lagoon walks, and her already slim figure was fast shrinking.  so i took her to the vet, which he revealed to me that she had a giant liver tumor.  while he guessed that she wasn't in pain (yet), he gave her a shot, told me to go home to think about what another day is worth, and to come back next week to talk about quality of life.  as much as i selfishly want to do everything and anything to keep her here with me, i know that is not realistic.  I want her to have a happy ending, of love and comfort, and not to prolong any pain.
i spent the entire day with sasha.  i took her to cardiff beach like we used to do so often.  i could see the glimmer of excitement inside of her, a slow wag in her tail.  she used to bound through the water, sprint in giant circles on the sand - but today she was pushed by the white water and kept looking up at me too tired to walk anymore.  i brought her home and sat outside in the sunshine so she could roast herself in the grass as she loves to do.  let my thoughts wander and tried to grasp the reality of everything that is happening all around me.  i lay here on the ground with her wrapped up like a giant burrito in her yellow blanket, she loves to stare at me.  i cannot even imagine what she is saying.  her eyes kill me, tug at my already hurting heart.

M+M: bakehouse

Coffee (preferably iced) is an essential piece to my mornings.  I could easily make it myself, but I find that just like a good sandwich, it somehow tastes better when someone else is brewing it.  While I frequent Starbucks at home, when I travel for work I enjoy finding the local coffee shop.  In Charleston, South Carolina, I have become a huge fan of Bakehouse.  Inside the adorable cafe, large reclaimed wood tables become the perfect spot to enjoy a sweet treat in the sun soaked space.  After a few trips to Bakehouse, I have decided that the homemade biscuits with egg and cheese is buttery heaven.

happy camper

After our camping experience, my friend sent this Jim Gaffigan link, which was absolutely hilarious.  I also learned he is coming to Humphrey's by the Bay on Shelter Island next week on his tour.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdqIpYhM6PE

bright palette in the sky

"Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky" ~Rabindranath Tagore

my favorite time of the day.  the best perch to watch.  my faith that color can replace that which has faded.  the best company to share the silence.  

mt.whitney

Mother nature hasn't been that forgiving this season up at Mt Whitney.  With record precipitation and chilling temperatures, the high season for reaching the summit has been anything but a simple feat.  After getting rained out from torrential downpours in July (where people were wading down the mountain in water), our group was lucky enough to get reassigned to a weekend in September.  Arriving that weekend, we knew we were up against cold wet weather, but we had faith that we'd still make it to the peak.  Despite the rain, thunder, lightening, hail and white out storms - there were many moments of sheer beauty climbing up Mt Whitney.  The dark clouds eventually swooped in from the south, and a horrible storm broke lose preventing us from reaching the last leg up the 99 switchbacks to the summit.  But, we are all determined and I have no doubt, we will be back soon enough.